Callinicos examines the ways in which social theory grew out of
the eighteenth century Enlightenment, a time when societies
emerging in the West ceased to invoke the authority of tradition to
validate themselves, instead looking to scientific knowledge to
justify their mastery of the world. He traces social theory’s
connections with central themes in modern philosophy, with the
development of political economy, and with the impact of
evolutionary biology on social thought.

The book has been carefully updated to ensure that it engages
with the most up-to-date debates in social theory, and concludes
with a substantial new chapter. Here Callinicos assesses the
significance of contemporary debates about globalization, including
the recent re-emergence of critiques of capitalism and imperialism
in the work of Michael Hardt, Toni Negri, Luc Boltanski, Eve
Chiapello, David Harvey, Robert Brenner, Giovanni Arrighi, and
Slavoj Žižek.

This updated version of a widely praised text will be essential
reading for students of politics, sociology and social and
political thought.

"Alex Callincos has written one of the best historical
introductions to sociological theory. His book also does a nice job
of connecting sociological theory to broader intellectual trends
and movements. This new edition sustains the quality and improves
the coverage."

Craig Calhoun, New York University

"The second edition of Alex Callincos' Social Theory
reads in the same beautifully clear, reliable and accessible way as
the first edition. The new material adds a further dimension to
this splendid book, bringing it fully up to date with debates in
which Callinicos has himself played a part."

Instructors

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